


When We Were Winning

by sismorphene



Series: When We Were Winning AU [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-25
Updated: 2013-06-27
Packaged: 2017-11-12 21:44:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/495960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sismorphene/pseuds/sismorphene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When we were winning, we listened to music and fell in love.</p>
<p>Set in Gothenburg, Sweden, this story will take you through the lives of two teenage boys and their struggles with friends, school, music and, above all, each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 13 (Thirteen)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story created by me, reinardfox and dzanadoo. We've put our hearts in this, created an AU, and will go through with it until the end.
> 
> I hope you will enjoy this as much as we are enjoying doing this. <3

”Look look look! Gaara, look!”  
  
Gaara's thoughts were suddenly roused by Naruto pulling his scarf urgently. He had probably just grabbed blindly after the first thing he could find. Impatient bastard. Naruto was almost bouncing as he pointed towards a girl with strawberry blonde hair a bit further down the line.

“What about her?” Gaara asked and looked a bit more carefully. When he turned back to Naruto he was met by the most incredulous stare he'd ever seen the blond boy give him.

“Are you kidding? She's like the cutest girl I've ever seen I think? I'll talk to her later. I'll quote a song or even sing it for her and you'll see she'll be all starstruck since I'm such a star. Yeah, that’s how it'll be.”

Gaara looked at Naruto with disbelief. Then he redirected his eyes back to the blonde girl. Sure, he could agree she was kind of cute, but not worth that much trouble. She'd have to have a damn great personality for that. The girl was now talking to a boy with a pretty gloomy look on his face. He was sporting a style similar to most of the other queuing people waiting for Håkan this sunny morning.

This style consisted of black messy hair, a little bit of eyeliner around the eyes and a few glittery stars underneath. He was wearing the obligatory Håkan t-shirt and also a Broder Daniel tote bag. Gaara would've liked to be able to sigh a little at this attire but realized he was dressed very similarly and kept silent. The boy with the black bird's nest was in any case cuter than the strawberry blonde, but this was also something Gaara decided not to mention. Some things were simply better off not known by anyone else. So instead of voicing these deep thoughts he said, ”Uh. Yeah. Sure. We can try to end up next to them later. They're not that far away. It could work I guess.”

Without showing any sign of having heard Gaara Naruto once again grabbed ahold of the brown haired boy's scarf and started to part jump, part wade through the queue that mostly consisted of people sitting down.

 

 

 

“Naruto. Naruto. I said later. We can't just walk past everyone. Naruto.”

“Oh whatever, they don't know if we already know those people or not. We could've known them since forever and just wanted to queue together right?”

“That doesn't make it more okay to squeeze past people. Naruto. Stop.”

“We're practically there already. You can stop your whining.”  
  
Gaara rolled his eyes but found himself in front of the very girl Naruto had been pointing at. She was still standing next to her friend and they were both looking fairly surprised, probably a reaction to Naruto's not too stealthy journey through the crowd.

”Yo! My name is Naruto, what's your name? We saw you from over there and you've got great hair and your shirt is really nice too and oh yes, this is my friend Gaara and we're going to watch Håkan later too of course – but yeah what's your name?”

“I'm Sakura… and this is Sasuke,” the girl said a bit hesitant and made a gesture towards the black haired boy. Up close Gaara could see that the boy had distinct Asian features. Sakura on the other hand looked very Swedish with her fair hair and green eyes. They made a nice couple, he decided.

“Oh!” Naruto exclaimed and kept smiling his stupid smile while he sat down on the ground.

“Hello to you too, didn't notice you at first,” he added directed to the boy. “So okay, how long have you two been listening to Håkan?”

The other three followed his lead and sat down, and the next hour was filled by relaxed talk between mostly Sakura and Naruto, while Gaara spent most of the time being fascinated about his friend's ability to get along with anyone. The conversation was mainly based on talk about artists, songs and bands they had in common but after a while Gaara lost interest anyway and zoned out.

 

 

 

 

”…no but it’s so damn awesome in _Minnen av aprilhimlen_ when he's like 'once I used to go with theeem but now I'm chasing the morning–'“

“But he's singing 'rainclouds used to chase me'.”

Gaara started to pay attention to the conversation again when the Asian boy – Sasuke was his name right – said something using a louder and sourer voice than before. He was frowning and there was no trace of cheeriness in his words. Gaara smiled mentally at the boy's expression and glanced in Naruto's direction.

“… huh?”

“Yes. You quoted the lyrics wrong. Stop sounding so certain when you're not even sure you're right.”

“When did you suddenly wake up? You've been sitting there mumbling for an hour and it's not until now when you find something you can complain about you start talking?”

”That's because I during this hour I've gotten more and more tired hearing your constant blabbering about absolutely nothing. You don't know us. Why did you even come here?”

Now Naruto was also starting to look angry, and his displeasure was heard clearly in his voice.

“To get to know you of course…? How else would you make new friends?”

Sakura must also have noticed the increasingly hostile vibes coming from the boys since she almost literally threw herself between them.

“Okay let's not start arguing, right? Naruto, you'll have to excuse Sasuke for being like he is and… Sasuke do you want a sandwich? I brought loads and I've got water too and napkins and– “

“Sakura. Stop. Just stop.”

“Why are you being so mean?!” Naruto exclaimed and now he sounded angry for real. “She's just being nice to you since you clearly need to eat something, your attitude right now is terrible–“

“Why are you interfering in our relationship?”

Sasuke and Naruto had now initiated something that couldn't be considered anything else than a staring competition. The mood got tense and Sakura was looking glumly down at the ground. But like some kind of godsend the gates to the park suddenly opened and the whole queue quickly got up to get inside to continue the wait before the day's and evening's main character was to enter the scene. Sakura breathed a relieved sigh and placed herself between the disputing boys, and all four of them began to move slowly towards Liseberg.

The rest of the afternoon passed without any bigger troubles – Gaara even managed to spend a short while alone with their two new-found friends while Naruto went to buy some food – and at eight when the concert were to start they all seemed to have forgotten the earlier disagreement – at least momentarily. Gaara was starting to suspect that his best friend and this Asian boy would never be able to get along properly. They simply seemed too different. But, who knows, he and Naruto weren't that alike either and still managed to be best friends. Gaara shrugged and decided to let the future show what was to come. At the same moment he made up his mind the first notes from _Tro och tvivel_ started playing, and all thoughts except the ones concerning Håkan (and the aching feelings in his chest he couldn't yet name) disappeared from his head.

 

~

 

On the tram on their way home from the concert Gaara sat resting his head against the window and listened with just one ear to Naruto's persistent jabber about the concert and Sakura (and how he after a lot of asking had managed to get her number) and about lyrics and about how ridiculous 'that Sasuke' seemed. Gaara answered mostly with humming and were mulling over how his and Naruto's relationship could change if these two new acquaintances were to become a constant in their lives. He hoped that it would stay the same, with just him and Naruto against the world, but a tiny dark thought told him that a lot of the events that occurred on September 29, 2008, would leave their marks and change their whole future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's the end of the first chapter. THANK YOU FOR READING. i'll have a lot to say to you who read this fic, so i hope you'll bear with my notes, haha. <3 but as i said in the notes at the beginning, this AU was created by me and tumblr users dzanadoo and reinardfox. i don't know how to make links of their names here, so you'll just have to paste it in, huhu.
> 
> reinardfox is drawing the pictures, i'm writing, and dzanadoo is our muse. we have made a tumblr for this AU, whenwewerewinningau dot tumblr dot com. it'll be locked for a little while, because there are still things that need to be fixed, but drop in anytime after that!! we're nice.  
> edit: now it's open!
> 
> i originally wrote this fic in swedish, and i might post this version here as well. at least i'll do that at the tumblr.
> 
> and notes for the story itself... i guess i'll have to start from the beginning. in sweden, there are a lot of people who listen to a certain kind of music. or, well, there were more of them a few years ago. if you belong to this subculture, or whatever, you'd probably like artists like håkan hellström, kent or broder daniel. good artists, check them out if you want to! and many of these artists originate from gothenburg, and so does this subculture. AND. we've placed our characters right in the middle of all this. i'll explain the details as the story progresses. fun, right? great teacher sismorphene.  
> (håkan's lyrics are in swedish. they're hard to translate. but we'll do our best. minnen av aprilhimlen means something like "memories of the april sky" and tro och tvivel something like "belief and doubt".)
> 
> the title of this song is taken from elliott smith's song thirteen, and/or håkan hellström's cover of it, which is simply called 13.
> 
> but, anyways. i hope you'll enjoy this fic as much as we're enjoying creating it.


	2. The Beginning of Something Really Excellent

Naruto lay sprawled on Gaara's bed, like many times before, and was waiting for the soon to be redheaded boy to return from the bathroom. The two of them had been talking for a long time about dyeing someone’s hair, but since Naruto's parents most likely wouldn't be too happy about it, Gaara had been chosen as the victim. The color they had picked was just a few shades redder than Gaara's real reddish brown hair, so hopefully the result would be good.

Naruto closed his eyes and thought about his parents. They were awesome in so many ways. Why did they have to be so old-fashioned when it came to his hair? It would be really easy to change back. Maybe not if he'd dyed it black (considering the genes he had gotten from his mother and her fiery red hair surely would decide to show up during bleaching) but anyway, black wasn't the color he would like. He sighed, sat up, and looked at Gaara's room.

The room was smaller than Naruto's own, but with less furniture, so it felt bigger than it really was. White walls added to that impression, even though the room was really dark. The darkness was mostly due to Gaara's habit of not pulling up the drapes. Over the bed there were a few posters. Naruto couldn't remember for how long most of them had been there. The largest one was a Dir en grey poster, a Japanese band that Gaara had listened to for ages. Gaara had always been the first of the two of them to discover new bands and artists, mainly through his older siblings.

The only other poster that could compete with the Dir en grey one in size was one with their idol and personal god Håkan Hellström. Naruto smiled when he was reminded of the concert they went to just one week prior. It had been the first real concert they had seen with an artist they really liked, and it had been wonderful. And Naruto had managed to get the number to the cute Sakura with the strawberry blonde hair.

At that thought he smiled even bigger and bounced off the bed. He was getting impatient now. How long would Gaara be gone? How long could it take to rinse a bit of hair dye? He didn't feel like being stuck here much longer. He wanted Gaara to get done so he could call Sakura so they could all hang out together. If the moody Asian guy from last week didn't show up it would be great; Naruto didn't think he added much more than a bad atmosphere. But Sakura seemed to be very close to him, so maybe he shouldn't hope for too much.

He let out another big sigh and spun around a little, trying to find something to amuse himself with while Gaara was gone. He set his sight on the keyboard standing next to the door. If he played loud enough maybe it would hurry up Gaara's endless showering. Gaara was very protective of his stuff, and ever since that day when Naruto by accident had crashed all of his cacti pots the protectiveness had gotten even worse.

He sat down at the stool in front of the keyboard and was just about to go crazy on the keys when Gaara, dressed in a bath robe and with a towel around his head, suddenly slammed the door open.

“Aah! I didn't do anything! I promise!”

Naruto held his hands in front of his face, terrified that Gaara somehow knew about his sneaky plan.

 

 

 

  
“I didn't think you had. What would that be? Anyway, the hair turned out kind of nice I think...” Gaara said and pulled off the towel he was wearing as a turban.

Naruto's face must have showed immediately what he was thinking, because Gaara started smiling big when he saw Naruto's reaction. His hair was the exact right shade of reddish brown, like the color of houses on the countryside.

“Hey it's really good! Well done!” Naruto said and patted Gaara on the back. “Now I'm gonna call Sakura and ask her what she's doing tonight. Do you want to tag along if there's something fun going on?”

Gaara nodded and Naruto immediately started looking for Sakura's number in his cellphone. He pressed the call button and after just one beep he was met by her voice.

“ _Yes, hello, this is Sakura, who's this?_ ”

“It's me! Naruto! What are you doing tonight? Do you want to meet up? Gaara and I aren't doing anything and I really want to meet you again!”

Sakura giggled and answered, “ _I'm with some classmates at the youth club by Allégården. You could come here if you want to?_ ”

“ 'Course we want! See you soon!” Naruto beamed and hung up. “Gaara, let's go!”

“Naruto. Do you even know where we are going?”

Naruto gave it a thought, realized he had no idea where Allégården was, and suddenly felt kind of stupid.

“I was just about to send a text to find out. Actually. Really. Kind of,” he laughed nervously.

Blushing he sent a text to Sakura and glared at Gaara, who had started to giggle uncontrollably. He kept giggling all the way down to the tram and it all ended with Naruto shoving him into a bush.

 

 

 

 

 

~

Naruto had on the way into town gotten an answer from Sakura, and they found out they could stay on tram number six all the way to Haga church. On the tram ride Gaara sat trying to do his makeup while Naruto kept touching his hair.

“It's so soft! I don't get it. How can it be so soft? It's not fair. I want soft hair.”

“Your hair is better. You don't even need hairspray. It just stands up all by itself.”

Naruto fell back on his seat and pouted.

“That's not a good thing. Hey do you want to help me put on my stars when you're done?”

 

 

 

 

 

~

“Helloooooooo Sakura!”

Naruto's voice was heard loudly over the relatively loud music being played in the small room that made up the whole youth club. Sakura smiled tentatively and waved back, and the two boys started to make their way across the room, towards the group seated in the two sofas placed in a corner.

Beside Sakura and Sasuke there were two people that Naruto didn't recognize. One of them was a tiny girl with a very big, black hair and the largest eyes he'd ever seen which were framed by a lot of black and silvery stars. The other one was a blonde girl with her hair in a high ponytail. Her bangs where hanging in a very irritating way over exactly half of her face. Naruto caught himself staring at the bangs, willing her to brush them to the side, but managed to look away. He lifted his hand in a salute and introduced himself and Gaara to the two new girls.

Naruto found out that the blonde girl was called Ino, and was Sakura's best friend. The panda girl was called Hinata and she seemed terribly shy. She stuttered and blushed while introducing herself and didn't say much during the evening. Ino was a lot more social and chattered on about this and that. All four of them were, as Sakura had mentioned on the phone, in the same class, and had been since seventh grade. All of them except Ino also seemed to share the same interest for the Gothenburg pop scene. Ino said she'd tried to find a liking to the bands the others were listening to, but explained she simply couldn't stand “those artists who couldn't sing”. Naruto chose to just give her an annoyed glance at that comment.

At half past eight Ino and Hinata headed home. Sakura said she'd call her mother and followed the girls to the tram. Gaara mumbled something about going to the restroom – which left Naruto alone with Sasuke. They hadn't had a very flowing dialogue this evening – since most of the things Naruto said seemed to annoy Sasuke for some reason – but Naruto was still going to start a conversation with the dark haired boy.

“Hello!”

“... hi.”

“So what kind of relationship do you and Sakura have, really?”

Oh no. That wasn't what he had planned on asking. Crap. Oh well. Go with the flow.

“We're friends. Nothing else. But that's hardly your business.”

“Ah, no, I was just thinking! Because she's cute and I'd like to ask her out on a date but that wouldn’t work if you two were… you know.”

A very uncomfortable silence fell and Naruto wanted desperately to sink through the sofa and the floor and disappear. Surprisingly enough, Sasuke was the one to break the silence after just a few minutes.

“Yeah well, for some reason she seems to kind of like you. Don't get your hopes up though; I’m pretty sure she's not your type.”

Naruto stared at Sasuke who, after having said that, got up and answered his phone while walking away. Naruto could hear Sasuke answer “Yes, what do you want, Itachi?” before he got too far away.

Itachi, huh. Naruto assumed the caller was probably a bigger brother of Sasuke's. He added that fact to the mental list over things he knew about his new sort-of-friend, and then smiled knowing Sasuke didn't actually seem to hate him. But he'd make sure Sasuke would never beat him when it came to Sakura. Because honestly, who wouldn't want to be her boyfriend? Naruto refused to believe in that flat voice Sasuke had used when telling him they were only friends. Nope.

This could be exciting, he decided. When Gaara came back Naruto pulled him close enough to whisper.

“Gaara. I’ve found a rival. He can never be allowed to beat me at anything.”

“Okay. It’s no longer enough with trying to be better than me in like every video game ever?” Gaara smirked and removed Naruto's hand from his shirt. “Cmon, let’s go home. It seems like both Sakura and Sasuke are about to leave and I see no reason to stay here much longer if that's the case.”

Gaara was right about the other two going home; when they left the building the two boys saw Sakura stepping into a car. Naruto ran over to give her a hug and pushed Gaara forward so that he'd get one as well.

“Are you getting picked up too?” Naruto asked Sasuke who was standing a bit to the left looking at the road.

Sasuke didn’t have time to answer before a car that at least to Naruto's eyes looked very expensive turned the corner. Sasuke made a face and walked towards the car that had stopped close to the house. The driver’s door opened and a tall guy stepped out before Sasuke had had time to get to the car.

“Itachi. You could’ve just waited by the main road.”

“I wanted to take a look at your friends, Sasuke. To say hi.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, turned around and gestured towards Gaara and Naruto.

“Blonde, Naruto. Redhead, Gaara. There. Can we go now?”

Before Sasuke could leave Naruto took a step closer and gave him a hug too. Sasuke froze during the short hug and Naruto grinned at his discomfort.

“It’s one-zero to me now! See you soon, loser,” he said and nudged Sasuke towards his brother who had a strange look on his face. Naruto couldn't pinpoint what it meant at the time, and he didn't care enough about it to start analyzing.

“Idiot!” Sasuke hissed at Naruto as the two Kortedala kids begun running towards the tram stop while laughing loudly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~

Safely home in his bed, with a huge cup of hot chocolate, Naruto started one of his favorite movies and snuggled into his comforter. He didn’t pay very close attention to the screen though, as his thoughts were lingering on the people he'd spent the evening with. An old friend with new hair, two new friends, a girlfriend to be and a new rival. He felt warm and happy when thinking about what the future could bring.

His eyelids were starting to get heavier, and just half an hour into Star Wars: A New Hope the last drops of chocolate had spilled on the covers, and Naruto was fast asleep with a smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two up, woho!
> 
> once again making some advertising for the tumblr whenwewerewinningau.tumblr.com where i will post the swedish chapters as well!
> 
> all the places in this chapter are real. in fact, most of the names of things, like schools or locations used in this fic, _will_ be real. please do tell me if it gets confusing!! in my mind the map of gothenburg is so very clear, so sometimes i might forget to explain it so that non-gothenburgers can understand as well.
> 
> hinata's style is very typical for fans of the band broder daniel. google "pandapoppare" to get an idea of what it looks like!
> 
> oh and gaara doesn't shave his eyebrows. yet. and as for liking japanese bands... we've all been there, right?
> 
> title taken from http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/the-beginning-of-something-really-excellent. i still don't know how to make links here so just copypaste it!
> 
> the next chapter will follow naruto as well. the one after that will be a surprise. hoho.


	3. Rock n' Roll, Blue Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow we're so so sorry for the late update! but both me and myra have been super busy with school and stuff like moving to a new apartment and all so well yes. i have eight chapters written so far, six translated, but we'll see when they'll appear here. we'll at least try post as often as we can, promise!!
> 
> so. ok. allons-y.

 “Naruto, why do you have a guitar?”

  
Naruto lifted his gaze from the tuning pegs he was currently trying to get to work and gave Gaara a smile and one of his characteristic mischievous chuckles.

  
“I'm gonna start a band! You want in?”

“What? Where did you get that idea from all of a sudden?”

 

Naruto straightened his back and tried a serious look while strumming his fingers over the strings of the guitar. Gaara flinched at the false tone that appeared.

 

“Today is a very special day. I, Naruto Uzumaki, am as of today fifteen years old, and this morning I got a gift as dignified as me,” he said and solemnly rose the music instrument in his hand up in the air. “I hereby declare that I am going to become good, better and best at playing the guitar and then become the most famous ever so that everyone knows who I am. Hey, what's with that expression?”

 

Gaara had, during Naruto's little speech, risen his eyebrows higher and higher, until Naruto was afraid that they would hit his hairline if they kept going much further.

 

“You can't sing,” answered Gaara matter-of-factly and sat down beside his blonde friend at the bench.

 

“So what? Håkan can't sing either and he's the best anyway. After school today I'm going to write a lot of fliers and posters that say that I'm starting a band. We can decide what we're going to play later on.”

 

Gaara snorted, amused.

 

“Okay. I can help you. Do you need a keyboard player? And maybe a songwriter as well?”

 

Naruto answered him with a laugh similar to the last one and continued his struggle with the pegs. As he did this, his thoughts started to wander to the earlier events of the day.

 

During the night, Naruto hadn't been able to sleep at all. He had at first planned to stay awake until midnight to feel his last seconds as a fourteen year old tick away, but he hadn't felt anything remarkable and soon after that he was wide awake, disappointed and bored to hell and back. After exactly 34 minutes of wriggling around and trying to fall asleep, he had given up and instead trained his Pokémon for a while. At some point during fighting the Elite Four he had probably fallen asleep though, since the next thing he remembered was his parents singing for him at way-too-early o' clock. According to Naruto, waking up before 8:00 should be strictly prohibited. Anytime. Even on birthdays. _Especially_ on birthdays.

 

The first grumpy moments of the morning were however quickly swept away by the sight of the huge present his mother was holding with some difficulty.

He had ripped the paper off the package before he even saw the breakfast tray his father was holding and had gotten so shocked and happy at the same time that he accidentally tipped everything on there in a spontaneous double-hug.

 

Naruto grimaced by the thought of the mess of milk, honey and butter that now was on his bed and the washing up that he had to do later on. Kushina could be very strict with certain things, and one of those was that you clean what you've messed up.

 

Gaara suddenly tugged at Naruto's sleeve and reminded him that the first class of the day was about to start. He started walking without waiting for Naruto.

 

“Hey! Wait! Why do you always do this?! Tell me earlier next time!” he shouted after Gaara and hastily gathered all the papers and books that at some point had fallen out of his bag.

 

“Nope,” Gaara answered calmly with an irritated frown, but stopped nevertheless to wait for his blonde friend.

 

 

 

 

~

 

Later on Naruto and Gaara sat alone, as usual, in the school cafeteria and tried to make good posters.

 

“Should I add something? Is this enough?”

 

 

 

 

LOOKING FOR BAND MATES

 

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

 

CALL:

0738 931010

 

Gaara tilted his head to get a better look.

 

“Well. It certainly gets the message trough, at least.”

 

“What do you mean?” scowled Naruto and narrowed his eyes. “Is that a good thing or not?”

 

“It's fine,” sighed Gaara. “Come, we're leaving. That group over there have started preparing various things made out of paper to throw at us, and I don't feel like putting up with that today. We can finish those posters somewhere else.”

 

Naruto glanced over at the table the redhead had mentioned, and indeed the kids over there had gotten the cheeky expressions that teenagers feeling cooler than everyone else tend to wear. He nodded as an answer to Gaara and picked up his food tray and the papers scattered on the table.

 

 

 

 

~

 

Naruto was whistling happily while he taped his posters over the other ones on the largest bulletin board in the school. This was an important mission. It was starting for real now. Soon he would start his band and after that become biggest and best. Naruto really couldn't grasp that he hadn't realized earlier that it was his goal in life to be a musician. It was all so clear now, when he thought about it. He had loved being on stage and the center of attraction his whole life, and to do that and at the same time get paid had got to be the best thing ever.

 

Naruto backed away from the bulletin board to examine his work. Posters over all the other posters. Yes. Good. Very good. No one would be able to miss this. He turned and began walking homewards, head held high.

 

Initially Naruto's plan for the day had been to spend it with Gaara and celebrate his birthday together with him, but his best friend had told him that he had homework to do and that he would show up later. Gaara had always been like that. You couldn't tell from his appearance, but he actually was really serious about school. And besides that, there had been a lot to do with school lately, and Naruto suspected that the reason Gaara gave much more of his time to homework was to make up for the few hours he spent at classes. He usually showed up at school to hang out with Naruto, but when class then started he preferred to scurry off somewhere else to just listen to music and zone out.

 

Naruto, however, didn't intend to spend a single out-of-school-minute studying on his birthday. For now, he was just going to put up some more posters and then practice on his guitar until his parents arrived home.

 

Naruto didn't make it very far before his plans were interrupted, though. He was just about to leave the school grounds when he heard someone shout after him. It was a boy with a terribly dorky pageboy haircut and a white shirt. Naruto wasn't surprised he never had noticed this boy before.

 

 

 

“Hi! I saw you putting up posters in there, and I'm wondering if you're interested in a bassist?” asked the boy, slightly out of breath, due to him running the last meters separating them.

 

“Yup. Now you're in the band, congratulations! My name is Naruto,” said Naruto and reached out his hand.

 

“My name's Sora,” answered the boy and shook his hand. He looked amused and confused at the same time. “It's great that I can join, but shouldn't you have some kind of audition before accepting me..?”

 

“Nah, not necessary. We've only just started with the band so we're not that good but that's like the thing we're going to change. We don't have any songs either but we thought about practicing some Håkan Hellström songs to begin with and then we'll see how it'll turn out.”

 

Sora laughed at that.

 

“Okay. Sure. Sounds good. I'll text you later so that you get my number. Tell me when you've decided a time to practice, and I'll be there.” He checked his watch. Watch. Really. Who even wears a watch? “But I have to leave now, so, yeah, catch you later!”

 

Naruto looked after Sora walking away at a fast pace. He reminded him of someone he couldn't remember at the moment. Oh well. He would have a lot of time to figure that out later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh ao3 won't cooperate with me at ALL the formatting looks shit but uuuuhh at least the picture is centered sighs  
> well except from that i don't have very much to say about this chapter. the title is from håkan hellström's song rockenroll, blåa ögon - igen.


	4. Intermission: Sakura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as the title might hint, this is a short chapter from sakura's point of view.

Frying pan.

 

Where do you buy a frying pan that's not expensive as shit? Not at Åhléns, Sakura concluded grumpily and put back the one she had inspected. Why are parents _always_ the hardest ones to buy presents for?

 

She had been wandering around in about twenty minutes and had tried to find mentioned kitchen-ware but it felt more like twenty hours. Okay, maybe not twenty, but at least two. Nordstan, the largest shopping mall in Gothenburg, wasn't really Sakura's (or anyone's) favorite place to be at Christmas time. She didn't really have a problem with masses of people normally, but when she already was carrying two bags it was pure hell. Why hadn't she started her shopping trip with the frying pan?

 

She muttered loudly and turned to exit the store, and purposely gave a lady who looked way too happy in Sakura's eyes an elbow in the side on the way. She was too tired and hungry for this. Away from Nordstan as quick as possibly.

 

Okay. Next point on the list.

 

 

 

~~Dad – shirt~~

~~Ino – some kind of body lotion or something~~

Mom – frying pan

Sasuke – a CD or something

~~Hinata – something from Accessorize~~

 

 

Just Sasuke left, then. A CD. Bengans was the best place for buying CDs. Majorna. Tram.

 

Sakura looked outside at the snow that downright poured. It wasn't a beautiful snowfall; it was freezing and far too intense. Way too dark. Way too windy. Way too much.

 

Fucking Sweden.

 

 

 

Sakura sighed for the umpteenth time that day and began to make her way towards a tram. Sasuke's present would be a good one, at least. No snowstorm should stop her from getting that.

 

Not that she was in love with him or anything. Not anymore.

 

It had been a painful year, the first one they knew each other. She had seen him the first time at the start of seventh grade and had fallen in love instantly. Unfortunately, her best friend Ino had reacted the same way, and they had spent a long time competing for Sasuke's attention – a competition no one of them managed to win. Even though Sasuke had hung out with them more than anyone else in their class, it was mainly because he simply disliked them the least.

 

In the beginning of eighth grade, Sakura had confessed her feelings for Sasuke – and been vigorously rejected. Her confession had led to something good, though. Sasuke started from that point on see Sakura more as a human being, instead of just someone who followed him around because of admiration. Gradually after that they began to hang out more casually, and nowadays Sakura considered herself Sasuke's best friend, and she could afford be believe he thought of her the same way.

 

And that was the reason he should get a good Christmas gift.

 

If she recalled correctly, Anna Ternheim had released a new album not to long ago. In August, maybe. She was one of Sasuke's favorite artists. That would be great.

 

When the tram stopped at Stigbergstorget she got off and stepped into Gothenburg's biggest music store. She loved being there. They had a café exactly at the entrance at the store and lots and lots and lots of records down the stairs in the shop itself. She found the album she was looking for quickly and was looking at it as she spun around to go pay, and thus she didn't see were she went and crashed straight into someone. She started apologizing desperately before she realized who it was she had run into.

 

It happened to be Naruto, a boy she had met for the first time about two months earlier. Since then her group of friends had been hanging out with him and his best friend Gaara at least once a week. This was mostly because, or thanks to, Naruto's determination that they should become best friends. He was a very intense person, both in personality, way of talking and appearance. It could be frustrating from time to time, but generally Sakura liked him a lot.

 

Today Naruto was wearing a very orange t-shirt with a printed frog on the chest, while carrying a very orange poofy jacket over his arm. Sakura rose one of her eyebrows. Oh well, for once it wasn't the shirt with the sailor collar that he seemed to wear almost every day.

 

“Hi Sakura! What are you doing here?”

 

“I'm buying a Christmas gift for Sasuke. I was at Nordstan earlier and tried to find a present for mom as well, but couldn't handle all the people. Are you looking for gifts as well?”

 

“Yeah, actually! I was about to buy something for you... do you want something in particular?”

 

Sakura flinched when she realized she had forgotten Naruto completely in her gift planning. Ouch, bad friend.

 

“Oh, no, you don't have to...” Sakura started but changed her mind when she saw that Naruto had that no-I-won't-let-you-do-that expression on his face. “Well, I mean if you really really want to... uhm, yeah, you know what music I like..?”

 

Naruto's face changed as quickly as the weather an April day and was now smiling widely.

 

“Got it! I'll get you the **best** gift! I promise!”

 

“You're so stupid. I'm going to pay for this now and then go home. I'm about to fall over out of exhaustion. But I'll see you, Naruto!”

 

Sakura went to buy the CD, and looked as she was walking out of the store down at Naruto that now had been accompanied by Gaara. When did he come here? That boy was able to sneak better than any ninja. When the blonde boy noticed that he was watched, he waved goodbye with his whole arm and started to shout “GOODBYE SAKU–“ but was quieted down by Gaara's hand over his mouth. He gave her a small wave as well that she returned.

 

Geez. That Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> intermissions like this will probably appear every now and then because of ideas that suddenly pop up. just see them as parallel side stories.
> 
> åhléns is a department store that you can find in any larger city in sweden. they have lots of stuff. not food but almost everything else. medium-fancy/expensive.


	5. Vintervila

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we originally planned to post this yesterday morning, fitting to the setting of the chapter, but christmas got the best of us.  
> but here you go, one days late. a sleepy sasuke and some slight stream of conciousness.
> 
> ugly formatting you just have to live with it ughhh

In general, Sasuke didn't like Christmas. The bustle and the stress and all the ideas of the perfect Christmas decorations had begun earlier and earlier for each year, and Sasuke was already fed up with it. He could still admit (to himself) that he was looking forward to Christmas Eve, though.

 

At the moment, Sasuke lay in his bed, awake way too early in the morning of said festive day and listened to music. Normally, Sasuke preferred to get out of bed pretty late, but this morning he enjoyed the silence that surrounded him and the world; that kind of silence that only early mornings possess. Even though it was partially disturbed by the music he had put on, the tranquility could be found between the end of one song and the beginning of another.

 

Sasuke didn't know why he had woken up so early this morning. Maybe he was more excited about Christmas Eve than he first had thought. There was a special aura that Christmas brought, after all. It had been more exciting when he had been little – of course, who doesn't love Christmas more as a child? – but even now he valued that his family got together and did family stuff, even if it was a wee bit contrived.

 

The song that was on ended, and the next one started. Sasuke quietly hummed to the sound of Anna Ternheim's soothing voice and closed his eyes. He had gotten the album from Sakura just a few days prior, the same day that school ended for the semester. She had insisted he should open the package (a gift very neatly wrapped; Sasuke doubted that she had done it herself) and he had gotten sincerely happy. By the way Sakura had been smiling, he could tell she was equally proud and glad over making _him_ happy. That kind of smile that she had given him was the kind of smile that that stupid Naruto used to wear constantly. Sasuke didn't get how his cheeks could take it. They should very likely hurt. But who knows, maybe you train your cheek muscles if you smile very much for a long time.

 

_you see me, like no one, saw me before_  
 _you see me, like no one, saw me before_  
 _and this part terrifies me so_

 

Sasuke hadn't gotten gifts for anyone this year. To buy gifts for his family was the hardest thing, so getting something for them was out of the question. He had considered buying something for Sakura, but didn't have a clue what she would like. Actually, he didn't have a clue what her interests were besides music. He knew she were practicing karate, but it would be hard giving a gift related to that. Sasuke snorted and turned around in his bed. Oh, wonderful duvet. So soft. Cloudy. Why couldn't everything be as warm and safe as a blanket in the morning? Maybe it wouldn't feel as special then, per se. Oh well. Back to present pondering.

 

 

 

 

In short, Sasuke thought it was unnecessary buying gifts to people just for the sake of buying and a tradition no one really knew why they celebrated. His family wasn't, like the majority of the population in Sweden, Christian, and Sasuke didn't really understand why they had picked up that tradition when they moved here from Japan. It was probably because he and Itachi wouldn't feel left out in society, or of some other practical reason.

 

Practical. That was a good word to describe his parents.

 

Sasuke saw himself as slightly more spontaneous. He hoped he would never turn out the way they had. Lately, he had noticed that Itachi was starting to resemble their father more and more in his external appearance. He was still handsome, with dark eyes and otherwise elegant features, but Sasuke was still happy that Itachi was the one resembling Fugaku and not him. Not that Sasuke had plans on seducing someone in the nearest future, but he had noticed it was easier for good-looking people to make people do stuff for them – and Sasuke used this. With an angry glare or a rare smile he could manipulate people. It was an ugly move, but whatever. Any way of getting rid of annoying people was good.

 

When he closed his eyes, he noticed that he was more tired than he had thought, and sleep found its way to him pretty quickly.

 

As the hours crept by toward the early noon the snow started falling, almost as a greeting to all the people of Gothenburg that woke up to this day of happiness, sadness, stress, love, loneliness and all the other things that is Christmas.

 

 

_no one I'll rather be with than you_

_never say the word, but our eyes always do_

_my head explodes and my mind's a mess_

_and I'm dying to move like young boys do_

 

_no one I'll rather be with than you_

_away with the bothers and the saddest of news_

_sober or not, high and down below, days you know_

_but nothing flows_

 

_you see me, like no one, saw me before_

_you see me, like no one, saw me before_

 

_and this part terrifies me so_

 

_no one makes me free like you make me_

_I speak my mind, I'm honest and I'm cruel_

_I lay out my cards, I'm a joke, I'm a fool_

_but the beast in me sleeps oh so peacefully_

_oh so peacefully_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short. but i actually like this chapter.  
> and yes i know the japanese usually celebrate kurisumasu as well... but i like to imagine that the uchiha family is very traditional and didn't celebrate it when they were young haha~ =u=  
> the song quoted is by anna ternheim and is called terrified. from the very same album that sasuke listens to here: leaving on a mayday. title is from the song vintervila by kent. vintervila would be translated to something like "winter rest," but sounds more poetic in swedish haha t_t  
> and ah, happy holidays everyone!! <3


	6. 'cause the cold Swedish winter is right outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> recommended soundtrack: first rendez-vous by yann tiersen.

Sasuke played the guitar. He had decided one day to learn how to play, and to get really good at it. It wasn't to prove anything to anyone, really. He just wanted to be able to play. He loved how relaxed he became as soon as he picked up the instrument. It made him think of absolutely nothing. Either he could let his thoughts stray, or focus wholly and fully on teaching his fingers to play a song by heart. Feelings could be put away for later; thoughts could be sorted out or just disappear.

Music therapy. Best.

This chilly day in December was that everything that Sasuke had been planning on doing. Playing guitar and thinking of absolutely nothing. Everything was hastily destroyed by a knock on his door, though.

“What?” sneered Sasuke at the door, harsher than he wanted to, and silently sent a prayer that is wasn't any of his parents who had knocked.

“Can I come in?”

Sakura's voice sounded, for once, really comforting.

“Sure,” answered Sasuke and Sakura came in, smiling cleverly. “Was there something you wanted?”

“I'm going to pull you out of this little hole of yours. It's super nice weather outside, do you want to take a walk with me? No don't give me that face, I don't care that you don't want to, just come, bring your camera and then we can go to y'know the place under the bridge and just watch the ice or something. Pleaaaaaaaaaaase?”

Sasuke groaned weakly and put the guitar down. He knew that when Sakura had decided on something (often concerning him) there were few things that could make her change her mind. She hadn't been like that in the beginning of their friendship, but she had probably noticed after a while that Sasuke wasn't that unmanageable as soon as you'd earned his respect.

“Sweet! I'll just swing by the bathroom before we leave, get your stuff meanwhile!”

Camera, cellphone, cigarette case. Bag, jacket, scarf, shoes. Ready.

Sigh.

 

 

 

~

The walk to Röda Sten, which was the place Sakura had been talking about, took far longer time than Sasuke would have thought, even if they had decided to take the tram a bit of the way. The temperature the last days had been going up and down like a yo-yo and left the streets very icy. And very, very slippery. Sasuke's Converse weren't the best shoes for the current conditions and Sakura laughed at his attempts to stay vertical.

“Can you stop looking so fucking smug? This isn't fun, and if I fall and break something I'm going to blame it all on you.”

“No, you won't. You'd be too proud to even admit that you slipped. You'll figure out something else to blame. Like, something like that you walked at some daaaangerous place broke and then you fell because of that. Or something.” Sakura smiled mischievously. “Or, you could say that somebody pushed you. Like Naruto.”

Sasuke snorted.

“That would be even worse. And besides, he would never get me off balance.”

Sakura just rolled her eyes and took Sasuke's bag from him. “I might as well hold on to this until we reach Röda Sten, anyway. Precautions above all.”

Sasuke snorted once again, but made no effort in taking back his bag. Maybe be was prioritizing his camera's well-being above his own pride – just for now.

 

 

 

~

The clock was about four when Sasuke arrived home. The sun had begun to set at three o' clock or so, and Sakura and he had spent some time taking photos with slow shutter speed, but it had eventually gotten too dark to get any decent ones at all.

Exhausted, he flopped down on his bed and started to look though the photos. A lot of them were actually quite good. He had managed to catch Sakura smiling naturally at a point, without any pouting lips or fingers in front of her face. She had been upset and thought it was horrible but Sasuke couldn't care less. If not for putting it on his wall, he could use it to blackmail her.

Sakura wasn't as good as he was at photographing, but she had been able to get some good angles of him. He stopped his browsing at one in particular, and decided that he looked really cool in that one. Now he had a new profile picture. Sugoi.

The same moment Sasuke connected the camera to his computer to copy the pictures, his phone started vibrating in his bag over at the door. Sasuke chose to ignore it. If his parents wanted something they could call Itachi. The phone stopped its angry vibrations after a while, and Sasuke continued his photo copying.

Just a second later though, the phone started ringing once again.

“For fuck's sake,” Sasuke mumbled and rose from the bed to pick up his bag and phone.

The number on the display made his eyebrows wander pretty far up his forehead. Naruto? What the hell did he want? Sasuke didn't even know he had his number. When had he taken that from him? Sasuke cursed once again and picked up.

“Why is your number in my contacts list?”

“ _Well good day to you too, Mister Sunshine! What got you in such a great mood?_ ”

Sasuke chose not to answer the question. He could practically see Naruto roll his eyes when he heard the sigh at the other side of the line.

“ _Okay, okay, I asked Sakura to put it in there some time ago. You know. If you ever would want to hang out. Then my number would be there._ ”

Sasuke kept quiet and was both delighted and distressed at the uncomfortable silence he created.

“ _Yeah okay alright I don't know what I thought. I suppose you don't go looking after a number you don't have. Anyway. Do you want to hang out?_ ”

That, however, did get a reaction out of Sasuke.

“... What?”

“ _Yeah, you know as in spend some time together? Socialize? Eat ice-cream?_ ”

“Now? Ice-cream? What's wrong with you? No, I don't want to.”

“ _Yes you do._ ”

“No,” sighed Sasuke and slapped his own forehead in torment. “I've been with Sakura all day and I don't have the energy to be with somebody else as well, you least of all.”

“ _I'm already outside. Look out your window!_ ”

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He did, despite that, go out on the balcony that was connected to his room and glanced down, and indeed, there stood Naruto waving his whole arm. Silly smile all over his face. Moron. What was that guy's problem, really? Why goes to someone's place to visit before you have decided to meet up?

“Yeah, I see you. You can go home now.”

“ _Nope. If you hang up, I'll ring the doorbell until you come out!_ ”

“Naruto. What's your problem.”

“ _It's you who've got problems! It shouldn't be possible to be as antisocial as you are!_ ”

Ouch. Sasuke wasn't antisocial. He just didn't have the same needs as other people when it came to socializing. He managed on his own.

… Maybe that's the same thing.

“... Okay, fine. We can see each other tomorrow if it means you'll scram. I can't handle this right now. Just decide on some place to meet and text me about it. I'm hanging up now. Goodbye,” finished Sasuke and left the cold balcony.

Immediately, he slumped down on the bed. Had he just arranged a meeting with Naruto?

_At least it wasn't voluntarily_ , he told himself as he buried his face in his hands.

Naruto didn't try to win Sasuke's respect the same way as Sakura had. He forced it his way. He had tried since day one. So fucking stubborn. Stubborn, persistent, clingy. No perception of people's personal bubbles.

The most frustrating thing about this way to behave, from Sasuke's point of view, was that Naruto actually succeeded in what he was trying to achieve. He reached out to Sasuke, whether he wanted it or not.

Sasuke removed his hands from his face when his phone vibrated to tell him he had a message.

 

 

  
_Tomorrow by the fountain!_  
 _We're going to my place to play TV games!_  
 _I'm gonna win!!!!!_

Moron.

 

 

 

~

Sasuke almost couldn't believe that he was standing where he was right now. The weather was way, way too cold and it was way, way too much snow in the air for his liking and he was waiting for Naruto who was late. Why, oh, why had he agreed on seeing him today? All he wanted to do drink tea, listen so some music and maybe read a book. Alone.

The same moment Sasuke decided to just leave because of the sheer absurdity of the situation he heart a voice shout his name. Or, not shout, more like scream.

Sasuke felt a headache coming on and a sudden need to scream as well, but from other reasons than Naruto. He bit down on that urge and chose instead to just glare angrily when Naruto came closer. The same stupid smile as always.

“The trams stopped for a while because of the snow, but now I'm here!”

“I can see that. Are the trams to your place canceled? Should we stay here in town instead?”

“No, I've decided what we're doing today and I'm not going to change my mind about that! Now we're going to take the tram and then play Soul Calibur and I'm going to win!”

Sasuke decided that it was, however you looked at it, better to go home to Naruto than stay outside in a snowstorm, so he followed him to tram number seven.

 

 

~

“Welcome to le château de Uzumaki! Just put your shoes wherever you want, I'll go make us something warm to drink.”

Sasuke slowly took off his shoes and put them neatly together under the hatrack. Naruto had just thrown his all over the place. Sasuke considered picking them up and placing them together for a short second, but chased away the thought as quickly as it had come.

He pulled off his hood and cap to inspect the damage done to his hair. It lay down flat in a very sad way, except for a obstinate tuft of hair at the back of his head that always seemed to stand straight up. His fringe was wet and a minor disaster. Panic. Bathroom. Where.

“Sasuke?”

Sasuke quickly put on his cap again when he heard Naruto's voice.

“I was about make some noodles as well, do you want as we– you're looking totally devastated, what's happened?” he continued and took a step toward Sasuke.

“My hair's flat. I need a bathroom.”

Naruto, who had looked slightly alarmed, started laughing out loud.

“Fucking sissy! The bathroom is right here, come upstairs when you're satisfied with your fabulousness and then we'll move on to me beating your ass at Soul Calibur.”

Sasuke mumbled something that could be interpreted as _we'll see who'll be sissy later_ toward a snickering Naruto and didn't blush at all when he went to the bathroom. Not at all.

 

 

 

~

Sasuke had more fun than he would've thought at Naruto's place.

When he finally had healed his hair, said “no thanks” to the hot chocolate and noodles Natuto had made ( _Noodles **and** chocolate? What's wrong with you?_ ) and instead gotten himself some tea, won some times over Naruto at every game he'd chosen, he found himself smiling. Naruto was surprisingly easy to get along with. Stupid and irritating but somehow it still worked out. He shook his head and picked up his phone.

Oh.

Five missed calls from home. Seven from Itachi.

Sasuke furrowed his brows. The clock was just half past seven.

… Half past seven? Where did the time go? Had he spent that much time with Naruto already?

In any case his family didn't have any reason to start worrying. With a sigh went out of the room to call Itachi.

“ _Hello, this is Itachi._ ”

Itachi sounded exactly like usual. Neither angry nor distraught. Itachi wasn't angry very often per se, but his calm voice made Sasuke draw a relieved breath anyway.

“ _Sasuke? What is it? Where are you?_ ”

“I'm at Naruto's place. Has something happened? Why has everyone been calling me so fucking much?”

“ _Don't swear,_ ” Itachi sighed and then continued. “ _Everyone's fine. It's you we're worried about. There's a snowstorm outside. All public transports have been canceled and we haven't heard from you all day. Our parents want me to come and get you. What's Naruto's address?_ ”

So annoyingly typical of his parents. Encouraging him to be independent and strong ( _like Itachi_ , a small voice in his head added) but send out the whole cavalry when he's been gone for half a day. Hypocrites.

“ _Sasuke?_ ”

“He lives at Oktobergatan, in a yellow house. It's in Kortedala. You can call me when you're outside. See you then.”

“ _Okay. Take care until I get there, little brother._ ”

Sasuke hung up and went back to Naruto's room.

“What was that all about?”

“Nothing. Itachi will be here in about half an hour. We can play some more until then.”

Naruto squinted at him, suspicious, but dropped it when Sasuke didn't meet his gaze. They continued playing until Sasuke's phone rang once again.

“I'll walk you to the door.”

After Sasuke had put on his jacket and cap, they two boys stood still for a while in the hallway. Naruto had a kind of troubled expression. It didn't suit him, Sasuke thought. Maybe he thought it was something serious Itachi had told him on the phone? Sasuke supposed his grumpy appearance could give that impression. Oh well.

“Well yes. I'll go now.”

“Okay,” said Naruto and gave Sasuke a quick hug and a smile. “Talk to you tomorrow then, twinkletoes!”

_even when he's downhearted he smiles_

“Hmph. Idiot,” scoffed Sasuke, turned and gave Naruto a salute with his hand as farewell.

The distance of about five meters between the door and Itachi's car made Sasuke into half a snowman. Even so, he was smiling (a bit wryly, but nevertheless smiling) when he sat down in the front seat of the car and watched the house and a waving Naruto.

“How are you, little brother? You seem happier now than before on the phone.”

“It's okay. Just drive us home.”

And so Itachi did. They were silent for maybe ten minutes, until Itachi broke the silence.

“You really had a great time at Naruto's place, hm?”

The question made Sasuke blink stupidly a few times.

“What?”

“Yes, you're still smiling. I'm just wondering if you're feeling well.” Itachi was smiling, but still held his eyes on the road.

“I'm not smiling.”

“Not anymore, no.”

Itachi glanced at Sasuke, who angrily turned his face toward the window and crossed his arms. Itachi chuckled lowly. This made Sasuke even grumpier.

“You're so easy to read, little brother. Like an open book.”

“Shut up and drive.”

Itachi hummed happily, and kept smiling the rest of the ride.

Sasuke's mood didn't get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unironically use the word "sugoi" in a fanfic: check
> 
> title from the song the cold swedish winter by jens lekman. it's one of my favorite songs, with some of the best lyrics i've ever read. please listen.
> 
> oktobergatan would be translated to "october street" and is an actual place in kortedala where naruto lives.


	7. This is stranger than I thought, six different ways inside my heart.

_always the same fucking story, always always always could he never just **shut up**_

__

Gaara was aware of that his dad was in the same room and talking to him; he just chose to filter the sound away. It was a technique he had been developing and improving for a long time, and nowadays the speech was just heard as a buzz in the corner of his mind. But as known even low sounds tend to be irritating of you're exposed to them for a long time – let's send a silent thought to all the people with tinnitus – and just today Gaara didn't feel like intensifying his headache for very much longer.

He just wanted to make his coffee, drink it, and then leave the apartment.

 

_can he just be **quiet** i already know what he's saying, the same same same as fucking always_

The sound of a fist hitting the kitchen table broke through the buzzing in the back of his head. Gaara, who just had been about to leave the room, turned around and looked his father in the eyes.

“Yes? Was there something you wanted?”

“You're supposed to listen to me when I'm talking to you, you little brat. Do you hear me?”

Gaara was as still as his face was expressionless.

“Do you hear me?!”

His dad really did look angry. Maybe it would be best to show a reaction after all. He nodded his head barely noticeable and answered his father calmly.

“I hear you. I'll do the laundry tonight.. I'm going to put this mug in the sink later and do the dishes. But now I'm leaving. Goodbye, dad.”

Gaara once again turned his heel and went out of the kitchen into his room. He could feel his father's gaze on his back. He knew exactly what he looked like right now. Mouth disappointed, eyebrows stern and angry but at the same time quite surprised. How could he not have realized that Gaara by now had learned his nagging by heart?

Nagging he didn't deserve. Gaara wasn't worse than most kids. He cleaned when and where he thought it was needed, he took care of his own laundry and often the others' as well, he watered all the flowers and was in general very normal. But despite this, his father always found something to complain about. If he one time had forgotten to wipe the table, it implicated ten minutes worth of whining. Forgotten dishes, twenty. Et cetera.

His dad wasn't as bad towards Gaara's siblings. Why, he didn't really know. He couldn't care to care, either. This was simply how things were. He just had to endure.

He missed Temari occasionally. She was Gaaras sister, and the oldest of the three siblings. She had moved out as soon as she finished high school (Gaara understood her) but she had actually taken Gaara's side sometimes when their dad had been unfair. Kankuro mostly kept to himself. Didn't care. Gaara understood him as well.

A good thing about Temari moving out though was that Gaara didn't have to share his room with Kankuro any longer. To have a room of his own had been a dream of his ever since he for the first time had visited Naruto's home. He had been so jealous and amazed. Not only because of his room, but of the whole thing with nice parents and a functional family.

It had never been a part of Gaara's world.

Gaara drank the last of the coffee in a big gulp and started pondering what to wear for the day. After a while he decided on his standard outfit, which consisted of plain black jeans, a striped black-and-white t-shirt with long sleeves and a black scarf. Naruto usually teased Gaara for his monotone way of dressing, but his taste in clothing could _actually_ be questioned as well.

He quickly smeared some eyeliner on while putting on his jacket and hurried outside before his dad had time to comment on something else he had done wrong.

Gaara was, as said, not in the mood for lectures today.

 

 

~

 

Since that day in October when Naruto posted his recruitment posters he, Gaara and the new guy Sora had been practicing with their band almost every Saturday. They had had enormous luck with Sora. Firstly, he was very talented musically, and second, he had a huge basement that his parents let him use as a music room – and thus rehearsal room as well.

And that was the place Gaara was headed for at the moment.

He didn't really know what he thought of Sora as a person. He was a perfectionist and at times way to perky, but overall pretty okay. Probably they wouldn't hang out at all if they hadn't been in the same band though, and not even that if Naruto hadn't been there as adhesive between them.

Those two got along very good you see, for some reason.

 

_way too good_

Gaara _was_ jealous, and the fact that he was irritated him to no end. It was okay for as long he didn't think of it, but today his mood was pissy already and at those times bad thoughts tended to sneak up on him.

So, at this day when Gaara stepped inside the rehearsal room, he didn't really radiate sunlight and flowers.

“Shit, you look extraordinarily crabby today. Has something happened?” Sora asked from the floor where he sat tuning his bass.

“No.”

Naruto, who just came out from the restroom, happily started to greet Gaara, but his smile faltered pretty instantly when he saw his cross expression.

“Oh. Okay. I get it. We can talk about it later, maybe. Let's just play, okay?”

Gaara answered by nodding his head and was very thankful that Naruto didn't try to make him talk about his problems in front of Sora. He placed himself by the keyboard he usually borrowed from Sora's family while they were rehearsing, listened to the other boys deciding what they were playing today, nodded once again, and let the music drown his thoughts.

 

 

~

 

“So. What's up with you today? Was there something with your dad?”

Naruto looked at Gaara with a concerned look through the small opening that was left between his (orange) cap and big (orange) scarf.

“Yeah. Nothing special, really. He just went on as usual. I just didn't feel like putting up with it today.”

He put his hands in his pockets. Fingerless gloves were usually practical, but Swedish January weather wasn't merciful towards fingertips at all. Not faces either. Gaara felt that his nose would start running any minute now. Charming.

Naruto hummed and observed the blue sky for some seconds. Then suddenly he made a sound and small jump that he often did when he got an (in his opinion) splendid idea.

“Gaara! Today we'll make sushi! We have to try, right? Come, let's go buy all the stuff and then we'll make the sushi and then you'll feel better. Yes right good. Let's go!”

Gaara couldn't do anything else but smile when he saw his friend light up in this way. Naruto's whole being really was like a small entity of positive energy.

He didn't notice that he was standing still until Naruto took his arm and forced his hand out of his pocket.

“Did you hear me? Come!”

Now they were holding hands. Warm feelings everywhere.

Gaara wondered silently what he would be without Naruto.

 

 

~

 

Not in their wildest dreams could they have foreseen that it would be so difficult to boil rice. They had bought everything that they needed, read the instructions very carefully, and still it ended up wet and miserable.

“Uhm. This isn't very good,” Naruto established and poked the rice goo with a spoon. “What are you supposed to do when it gets like this? Can you just continue boiling it?”

“No idea. Maybe we can use it anyway? We can just put the vinegar in and the sugar and leave it be for a while and see what happens.”

“Good idea,” muttered Naruto and intensely glared at the pot as if it had committed a terrible crime. “We can do that and meanwhile wait for Sasuke. He probably knows what we should do.”

Gaara flinched and accidentally missed the spoon he was supposed to pour the vinegar in.

“What did you say..? Is Sasuke coming here?”

“Yeah! I thought because he is Japanese and all he should know how to make sushi, right? And even if he doesn't he'll be happy tasting ours!” Naruto said sunny.

So it was Sasuke that Naruto had been texting all afternoon. Jealousy hit Gaara in the stomach like a cannonball for at least the third time that day. Naruto was _his_. He didn't understand why he insisted that Sasuke should join in on everything they did. Okay, not everything, but a lot more now than before. The two of them even seemed to share jokes. Gaara didn't like it. At all.

He didn't let those thoughts shine through, though. Instead he simply said “Okay” and continued pouring vinegar. His hands were a bit shaky, so some of the vinegar ended up on the table this time as well. He couldn't find the will to care.

 

 

~

 

“... What the hell have you done? What's that?”

Sasuke looked at what had been supposed to become sushi.

“Yeah the rice got kinda soggy, but we thought that maybe it would be okay if we just added the vinegar and the... maybe it doesn't work that way..?” Naruto looked very troubled.

“Moron, of course it doesn't. You'll have to start over now. If you wanted to fix the wet rice you could've just left it for a while longer on a really low temperature. Jesus.”

Gaara rolled his eyes. So much like the prettyboy to come and be Mr. Know-it-all.

“Sorry we haven't been raised in a family of culinary experts. Can you, please, fix our humongous mistake?” Gaara snapped at Sasuke. He got an angry look as answer.

“Yes, as I said, just cook some new rice.”

Gaara couldn't handle this.

“Naruto, I can't do this. I'm leaving. I have a headache and promised to help dad with the laundry.”

This was probably the first time Gaara left Naruto's house by free will. Under normal circumstances he wanted to stay for as long as possible in the warm atmosphere that embodied the place.

“Eh. Okay. Sure.”

Naruto looked disappointed.

 

_not as disappointed as he should_

“Yeah. See you tomorrow or at Monday.”

He picked up his scarf and hastily left the room.

How did everything get so complicated? Gaara didn't like this at all. He had felt it for a long time now, ever since they had met Sakura and Sasuke for the first time. They were intruding on his and Naruto's bubble. It was slowly bursting, and would continue to do so for as long as they stayed. He didn't want anyone else there.

He felt like an overly dramatic, jealous girlfriend, but didn't know what to do about it.

That Naruto didn't follow him to the door didn't make things any better at all.

That such a small gesture, or non-gesture, could tear at the heart so badly.

Now the only thing to do was to go home and dull chores, feelings and life with music.

Fucking hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from the song six different ways by the cure. i don't know if there's a word in english for the kind of gloves gaara is wearing?? in swedish it's torghandskar, at least.
> 
> 'til next time,  
> ヽ(=ω=✿)


	8. Memories of the April Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be quite a lot of names and typical swedish stuff in this chapter, warning warning. i'll explain them more throughly in the notes at the end of the chapter. for now, just enjoy the chapter!
> 
> and ah... tw: drinking, i suppose? it's not that bad at all, though. just happy teenagers. so well yes. underage drinking.

 “Do you think everyone will be drinking a lot?”

 

Naruto momentarily looked up from his fight with the tie he had decided on wearing this particular day.

 

“Huh? Nah, I don't hope so. Sakura sounded kinda giggly when I called her earlier but I guess that was because they were just having fun. Where would they get booze from anyway?”

 

“It's kind of naïve of you to think so,” Gaara mumbled while fidgeting his scarf nervously. “I think they have been partying more than we know about. At Ino's place and stuff.”

 

“If that's the case, then it's their problem. I'm not going to drink anything at least, so you can just join me if the others get annoying! Not that I think that's going to happen, but but.”

 

Gaara made a incredulous sound and looked out the window. “We'll see about that. And ah, speaking of Sakura... you haven't been talking about her as much as usual lately. Has your schoolboy crush finally calmed down?”

 

“Fucking-- ah what?” Naruto stopped his swearing over the tie tying disaster when he heard Gaara's question. “I probably just haven't been hanging out with her as much as usual? She's still the cutest!”

 

“No, you have been spending more time with Sasuke than her.” The acid in Gaara's voice was tangible and Naruto wrinkled his face.

 

“You're being stupid. I don't care about this tie, it's fucking impossible to tie it, so we can leave now.”

 

Gaara casually shrugged and followed Naruto outside.

 

 

~

 

The simple reason behind Gaara's worrying was that was the last of April and thus Walpurgis Night – or Valborgsmässoafton in Swedish – and with Valborgsmässoafton being a typical Swedish holiday, one could expect quite a lot of alcohol around. This year the Gods had blessed this date with perfect Summer weather and most people in town were probably already intoxicated and happy. Naruto and Gaara were just happy.

 

Or. At least Naruto was.

 

When they arrived at the park that Sakura had told Naruto they were at, there was already a pretty large group sitting on the ground. Most of the faces belonged to people Naruto had never seen before at all. Naruto felt Gaara stiffen at sight of the mass of people they didn't know, so he gave him an encouraging pat on the back before he ran the last meters up to the group. Sakura cheerfully screeched his name at the same time he shouted hers and he gave her a big hug.

 

“Naruto, I'm going to fall over... ah!” she managed to say before they both fell down in the grass, laughing. Naruto suddenly felt his hair getting really wet. “Oh shit I'm sooooorry Naruto!”

 

“It's cool, but what's happening, what was that that's now in my hair?”

 

“It's just some cider so no harm done.” Sakura giggled. “It'll be like sugar water. Very punk. Make your hair stand up. Like. More. It'll smell good as well.”

 

“Sakura... are you drunk?”

 

“What no. Not really. I'm just _preeeeetty_ drunk,” she said while flapping her eyelashes at the word pretty and started laughing uncontrollably at her own hilariousness.

 

Naruto sighed, sat up and turned around to say hello to the rest of the people there. He could see Ino and Hinata some meters away with some guys he didn't know. They looked rather old in comparison to the girls and Ino were really absorbed in a conversation with two of them. Hinata blushed and waved carefully in Naruto's direction and he answered it with an hesitant hand gesture.

 

Gaara caught up with Naruto (wow, he had really dragged his feet behind him) at the same time he started wondering where Sasuke were at. He glanced around and spotted the boy sitting alone underneath a tree about fem meters away from the rest of the group. Emo bastard.

 

“I'll just go and say hello to Sasuke, be right back,” said Naruto to Sakura and Gaara both. Sakura didn't seem to have heard him though, as she had moved closer to the unknown boys and started talking to Hinata. Gaara nodded to him at least, and went to join the others as well.

 

“Hi,” said Naruto and slumped down in the grass beside Sasuke. “Why are you sitting here?”

 

“Why do you think?” Sasuke smiled wryly and nodded in Sakura's general direction.

 

“Ah. I see.” Naruto laughed awkwardly and looked down at the ground.

 

“Hm. Naïve.”

 

“Maybe. Wh-what are you doing?!” Naruto exclaimed when he saw Sasuke retrieving a wrinkled cigarette pack and a lighter from his bag.

 

“Well. I was planning on smoking. Why?”

 

Naruto stared at him with huge eyes. “For how long have you been smoking?”

 

“Stop looking so devastated. I don't know, for a while? I don't do it very often, though.”

 

Sasuke lit his cigarette and inhaled deeply, and a content sigh brought the smoke out of his lungs again. The two boys then sat quiet for a while and observed their friends from a distance. Sasuke was the one who spoke first.

 

 

 

“Not very much like you to be this quiet. Quite enjoyable.”

 

He once again smiled wryly at Naruto.

 

“I'm just I bit surprised, that's all. This day didn't turn out really as I thought it would.”

 

“It's only just begun? We were thinking of watching the parade later, I suppose you're going to as well? I think we have to remind the people over there, though. Come.” Sasuke put out his cigarette by rubbing it at the tree and then threw it in the grass.

 

Naruto sat still for a while longer, watching Sasuke walking away with determined steps before he got up and followed him towards the others.

 

 

 

~

 

About ten minutes later everyone was all packed up and ready for the walk up towards Götaplatsen. They had decided for a place to sit behind the Hvitfeldtska High School, where they would have the best view of the Chalmers Cortège. No one was that interested in watching the parade for real, but a tradition is a tradition.

 

During the short walk along the avenue Naruto held Gaara company. The red haired boy had put an an extraordinarily grumpy mood, you see, and held his gaze firmly on the ground before his feet until Naruto took his hand and started singing Minnen av Aprilhimlen. With Naruto's masterful Håkan interpretation, a careful smile found its way to Gaara's lips.

 

Finally situated at the slope behind the school, they realized that Ino they had lost Ino somewhere along the way. Sakura got very upset and grabbed one of the nameless guys to go and find her.

 

“I don't think we'll see them again today. There's already way too much people here and _they_ ,” said Sasuke and rose his eyebrows at the stumbling Sakura, “are way too drunk.”

 

“I hope they'll be all right,” Hinata said quietly beside Naruto. When everyone turned in confusion over her speaking without first being spoken to, she blushed fiercely.

 

“Don't worry. Sakura's got more attitude than most. I don't think anyone can take her on, even when she's drunk,” Naruto reassured her and touched her shoulder in a friendly way. This only increased her blushing. Sasuke rolled his eyes and rose.

 

“I'm not overly interested in watching this anyway, and I have to find a bathroom. The school might be open, so I thought of going there and check it out. Will you stay here?”

 

“I'll go with you! I have to pee as well,” Naruto said and bounced up. “Say here, you two!”

 

Both of the boys made their way through the sea of standing and sitting people and at last made it up to Hvitfeldtska's schoolyard.

 

“Shit, this school is huge! How many students are there, really?”

 

“About two thousand, I think.”

 

“Cool. Okay we HAVE to use the restrooms at the top floor. Look, there's a boy and a girl leaving the school! We can enter there!”

 

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and made a run for the doors.

 

“Why do you have to run everywhere, shit!”

 

Naruto suddenly stopped, which made Sasuke bump into his left side.

 

“Now what? Did you get some stupid idea?”

 

“Let's race up there. The loser... uh. I'll think of something later. Okay. Great. Here I go!”

 

“Hey! False start!” Sasuke shouted (totally unnecessary since Naruto hardly was listening anyway) and started running as well.

 

Despite Naruto's cheating, Sasuke still made to the top floor before him. Eight years of soccer training hadn't been in vain, apparently. Naruto came up to him a few seconds later, panting and sweaty.

 

“Charming, Naruto.”

 

“Shut up. It's not that bad. Now I have to piss.”

 

 

~

 

“I'll probably attend this school this autumn.”

 

“Really? Fancy shit. What program?”

 

“Science. That'll get me a good educational base for like everything. Then I can become a doctor, or something.”

 

Naruto glanced at Sasuke.

 

“You really don't know what you want to do for _real_ , right?”

 

Sasuke shrugged.

 

“When I was little I wanted to be a cop. Now I don't know anymore. Doesn't matter that much.”

 

After both of them had finished their business at the restrooms, they had decided to stay in the school for a while and enjoy the view from there. They probably would've been able to see the parade from there as well, if there hadn't been a lot of trees and another school building in the way.

 

“I'm gonna be an artist. But I'll do it my way. I'm not gonna go to some music school. There they'll just want to make me uniform with the others. That's not how I roll.”

 

“Hm. What will you do, then?”

 

“I'm gonna attend the Art and Social Studies program at Schillerska! Then I'll probably end up in the same class and Gaara and it seems like a nice school. And since I'll be a famous artist anyway I might as well have a great time while I'm in school. The perfect plan. Why are you laughing?”

 

“I'm not laughing. I'm smiling. You're so naïve. But, yeah, it's possible that you'll end up in the same class as Sakura as well, then. I think she's talked about Schillerska.”

 

“Good,” Naruto said with determination. Then he flinched. “Ah! The others! Oh man, Gaara! He probably feels really awkward, he was already really pissy, oh no oh no...”

 

“You run to them. I'll find you later.” Sasuke shooed him away with his hand. “I'll stay here a bit longer. Calmer.”

 

“Okay. Later, Sasuke!”

 

Naruto sprinted down the stairs and towards the place they had been sitting before. Alas, when he came there, no Gaara was to be found.

 

“Where's Gaara?” he asked Hinata who sat alone.

 

“Oh, he said that he got tired of all the people... and that he had a headache. Uhm. Where's Sasuke?”

 

“He wanted to stay in the school a while... but fuck. Okay, sorry Hinata, but I have to find Gaara. Maybe we'll see each other later, but yeah, bye! Sasuke will probably be here soon!”

 

~

 

After several calls where Naruto was greeted by a neutral voice that said that the number currently couldn't be reached, Gaara finally picked up his phone. He didn't sound happy.

 

“So now you remember me.”

 

“Goddammit Gaara. Stop sulking. Where are you?”

 

“Home.”

 

“I'll come to you.”

 

Gaara didn't answer for a long time.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Good.”

 

Naruto hung up and groaned where he sat at the tram stop. He didn't get what was happening. Suddenly it felt like he didn't know anything about his friends. Or, that he hadn't known anything before this day. This that he hadn't even asked Sasuke what _school_ he would go to later? This that he didn't know that his friends were partying? That they had friends he didn't know about? That he didn't know that Sasuke was smoking? What more things could it be he didn't know?

 

And what was the matter with Gaara? Was he jealous, maybe?

 

Naruto snorted at the thought. There was no reason for him to be. He was still his best friend.

 

So why?

 

Naruto didn't understand. At all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, i'll start by explaining valborgsmässoafton (or just valborg). it's a holiday that not everyone celebrates fully, but as with all other swedish holidays, people use it as a reason to get drunk. on the first of may there are various demonstrations happening all over sweden, and rumor has it that the tradition of drunking a lot the night before came to because the people in charge needed people to be hungover enough to not go out and demonstrate. i don't know if that story is true, but i'm fairly certain that there are fewer demonstrations because of all the drinking at least, haha. <3
> 
> for swedish university students, valborg is really special as well. in gothenburg, chalmers university hosts a parade every year (the chalmers cortège) and in uppsala the students are partying for four days straight. for example.
> 
> oh and yeah the legal drinking age (at clubs and bars) in sweden is 18. you have to be 20 to buy alchohol in stores though (and 18 to buy cigarettes) but as in every country (i suppose) it's not that hard to get people to fix stuff for you.
> 
> BUT PEOPLE. DON'T DRINK IF YOU AREN'T OLD ENOUGH. okay? it might be great stories later on but things could go so so so bad so please just have that in mind and someone who knows what they're doing around.
> 
> have a safe valborg now, everyone. <3


	9. Intermission #2

9:1

 

“Sasuke is happier nowadays.”

 

“Hm? How come?”

 

“I think you're good for him, Naruto. It seems that you're giving him something I've never been able to.”

 

Laughter.

 

“What? Seriously? What could that be? You're a girl and as good as I am at like everything! Or well maybe your taste in music isn't, but well well.”

 

“Maybe that's the problem.”

 

“I don't get what you're getting at. Oh well. I'm going to meet up with Sasuke later at Lejontrappan, can we go there and get our ice cream?”

 

“Sure.”

 

 

9:2

 

_he's ruining everything_

 

who do you mean, exactly?

 

_both of them_

 

 

9:3

 

_So, summer, huh. It's really coming. Year after year. Even this one. Well would you look at that. Gothenburg in the winter could certainly make you believe that's impossible._

 

Sasuke closed his eyes, rested his head against the tram window, and let the tones of Air France fill his headphones and ears and take him far away.

 

_I'm looking forward to you, summer._

 

 

9:4

 

Black nails.

 

_i wonder what color he likes best_

 

Black around the eyes.

 

_is this too much make-up_

 

Black and white shirt.

 

_he probably likes orange_

 

Red lips.

 

_i want to run my fingers through his hair_

 

 

9:5

 

Sakura sighed, closed her maths books, and lay down on the kitchen table.

 

_sasuke is in love with naruto. and naruto likes sasuke. stupid boys who won't realize that._

 

Sun in her eyes. Study mode off, cat mode on. Purr.

 

 

9:6

 

“Hello, Kisame.”

 

Kisame lifted his eyes from the newspaper he was reading and looked at his friend who stood at the other side of the counter.

 

“Howdy, Itachi! Coffee as usual? Black?”

 

“What else?” Itachi answered indifferently. Kisame smirked and poured him a cup.

 

“How are you? You look kinda worn out. But, ah then again, you always do. Should we sit down for a while? Not many people at all here today. Everyone's out in the sun, probably.”

 

“The sun's back, that's really nice. It seems like it's here to stay, now. Sasuke seems happier. I think he's falling in love.”

 

“I didn't ask about Sasuke. I asked how  _you_  are.”

 

Itachi just brought the coffee cup to his lips and looked out the window. Kisame rolled his eyes.

 

“You're completely hopeless and need sugar. I'll get you some mudcake.”

 

 

9:7

 

“Hello, Naruto.”

 

“You're  _late_!”

 

“Sorry, the tram was stuck at Valand for a really long time.”

 

“Ah, I guess it's fine then. Okay, should we buy some ice cream and sit down somewhere?”

 

“Judging from the chocolate smears on your cheek, it seems that you've already eaten ice cream..?”

 

“Yeah, got a problem with that? Come on, let's go.”

 

“Hn.”

 

 

 


	10. And I can see our days are becoming nights.

Their objective was to find Gullberg Pier.

 

To no surprise it was Naruto who had decided this. Sasuke hadn't been able to do anything else than shrug and let himself be led to the place where the pier Håkan Hellström had sung about (supposedly) was located. None of them really had any idea where the place actually was, but Naruto had looked it up at Google and thought that he would find the way there somehow.

 

Sasuke wondered how many placed Naruto had visited just because Håkan sung about them. To dance down Andra Långgatan was definitely something Sasuke could see Naruto doing, both now and in the future, either drunk or not. He also wondered how Naruto would handle alcohol in the future, and when he would accept it as a part of youth. After all, it was something Håkan beautified quite often in his songs. In any case, he probably wouldn't lose control totally.

 

Sasuke himself didn't really understand the point of visiting all those places. Håkan was just an ordinary person, just like they. He let Naruto do his thing, though. As long as it made him happy and didn't let it take over his own life. Naruto wasn't the kind of person to let other people's dreams overshadow his own. A sudden realization that he, Sasuke, was a part of them, and that maybe he would get songs written about him in the future, just like Eva, Johnny and Elin, made him stop dead in his tracks and his cheeks turn warm,

 

“Sasuke? Why are you standing still? … Why are you blushing?”

 

“What. I'm not. It's hot today.”

 

“Bullshit. I can't tell that you're warm until you start sweating and it has to be like 30 degrees for you to do that. What's up, real– okay who managed to ninja me, who are you, I acknowledge your skills.”

 

A redheaded girl with glasses had crept up behind Naruto while he was talking and put her hands over his eyes. Her hair looked like it might've been red originally, but then enhanced with a more intense color. … Were her eyebrows colored as well...?

 

The unknown girl snickered quietly and gave Sasuke a long and scrutinizing look. Her eyes were shockingly alike Naruto's, despite their completely different color... and shape. It was the determination they shared. She was kinda hot, Sasuke decided.

 

“Karin. It's you, Karin, isn't it. I recognize your smell. Don't try anything now.”

 

“Aw, how could you tell?” Karin removed her hands from Naruto's eyes and took a jump to the left so that she was standing beside the two boys. “I wear different perfumes every day.”

 

“Exactly. You're the only person I know that never smell the same!”

 

Karin looked almost insulted, and turned to Sasuke.

 

“And who is this hottie you've never told me about?”

 

Sasuke flinched at the girl's blunt question. Yet another thing about her that reminded him of Naruto.

 

“Ah, Sasuke!” Naruto smiled, giving Sasuke's shoulder a shove. “He's totally lame but like my best friend anyway. Sasuke, this is Karin. She's my cousin on my mother's side!”

 

“Ah, cousin. Explains it,” Sasuke thought and made a small nod towards Karin.

 

Karin looked immensely satisfied upon receiving this information. She once again let her gaze linger at Sasuke long enough to make him uncomfortable, and this time her eyes stopped somewhere around his navel.

 

“We're going swimming when school ends. You guys should join then.”

 

“Who're 'we'?”

 

“Just me and my friends, Christ. Why do you sound so suspicious?”

 

“Because you've had company with a bunch of mysterious people before.”

 

Karin frowned. The atmosphere suddenly tensed, and Sasuke got curious about what had happened in the past. He kept a plain face, though.

 

“Whatever. Be sure to come,” she said, turning on them. “You too, hottie! Don't forget about me,” she added and threw Sasuke a kiss.

 

“Uhm.”

 

“Yeah. She's... herself, at least.” Naruto looked displeased for a second, but hastily shrugged it off.

 

“You'll have to explain that situation to me now. What was that about bad company?”

 

“Nah, it's nothing really... some time ago she was hanging out with this creepy old man... maybe she still does, no idea. She's probably wise enough not to bring him if all of us are hanging out together, but still. There was a lot of drama when our family found out about that guy.”

 

“Hm.”

 

“She's a student at Hvitfeldtska, so you'll probably meet again. Congratulations! Oh well. Going to a lake together will be great. I hope the others want to join as well. Ah, let's go.”

 

~

 

“We found it.”

 

“Yeah! So what? Didn't you think we would?”

 

“No.”

 

“Pfffft. Don't underestimate me.”

 

The place wasn't anything overly fantastic, in Sasuke's eyes. Like any pier. A few boats were passing by them tranquilly, where they sat at the edge eating their cinnamon buns (Naruto had finished his ice cream while still in town, but had decided that they would be needing something more to eat when they arrived at their destination). Sasuke had brought coffee in a thermos.

 

“I don't get how you can drink coffee when it's this hot out. Or well I can't understand how you can drink it even without the weather being hot.”

 

“It's tasty. I've always liked coffee, and the heat doesn't bother me, as you said before.”

 

“You're strange.”

 

“I suppose you drink coffee with a lot of milk?”

 

“Yeah, if I do, it's with lots of milk and sugar or honey.”

 

“Honey? In coffee?”

 

“Yeah? Why not? Honey is awesome?”

 

Sasuke just sighed.

 

“Sooooo chill with a free day _before_ summer break. Imagine all the people that still are working and will be doing it all summer. We're going to have looooooooots of free time and we're going to eat a lot of stuff and go swimming and then play video games when it's raining and-”

 

“We should visit the islands west of here. The archipelago.”

 

Naruto looked at Sasuke in confusion.

 

“I thought you didn't enjoy swimming that much?”

 

“No, it's overrated. But the archipelago nature is beautiful, and I'd like to take some photos.”

 

“I'll go with you wherever you go.”

 

Sasuke froze, coffee cup lifted halfway to his mouth.

 

“I mean it. Everything gets better when you are around, for some reason. You're annoying as hell and doesn't talk very much but I guess I make up for it? And yeah I don't really get why I feel like that but it's just how things are. Strange, considering where we started out.”

 

Sasuke grinned, a rare expression on him, and put his mug down.

 

 

 

“Hey! Sasuke? We should write our names somewhere around here. Just because we can. Then this place will have a memory of us and you can take a photo so we don't forget either.”

 

“I don't think I'll forget, but sure. Do you have a pen?”

 

“Aye.”

 

The blond boy rose, looked around, and then decided that the place they were sitting was the best place after all. He scribbled his name quickly, large and messy over the wood, and then handed the pen to Sasuke. His much neater handwriting looked kind of off beside Naruto's, but he figured it symbolized them pretty well. After a moment of hesitation, he added an ampersand between their names and then the date underneath it all.

 

“There. My first vandalism ever. Hope you're happy, Naruto.”

 

“Totally content. Okay, take a picture! I can be in it as well.”

 

Sasuke rose, backed, took up his camera, focused (both mentally and physically) and then eternalized one of his best memories to date.

 

~

 

Until around eight o' clock that day, Sasuke was in an exceptionally good mood.

 

Naruto and he had stayed at the pier until the wind started to pick up, and then they both had gone home to their own houses. Sasuke had gotten a hug from Naruto, like many other times, but now, for the first time, Naruto's scent had stuck to him. He probably had worn some perfume. It was a new one, but fitted him very well.

 

Sasuke hadn't thought much about fragrances at before Itachi two years prior had bought him a perfume for Christmas. Since then Sasuke worn that perfume every day. Sasuke liked it mainly because it smelled nice, of course, but at the same time it reminded him of Itachi. He also liked the thought that he had a smell of his own, that made an impact on others, clung to them – and with those thoughts came also his interest in other people's fragrances as well.

 

Sakura smelled like flowers. An earthy, flowery smell. He didn't know if it was perfume or just her shampoo. Hinata didn't smell like anything in particular. She was probably allergic. Ino always smelt of the most popular perfume of the season – i.e. perfectly all right, but very uninteresting.

 

And now Naruto had a fragrance of his own. Describing smells isn't easy, but Sasuke still felt like that perfume the blonde boy had worn had been perfect. Sasuke wondered who had given it to him. It certainly didn't feel like a thing he would buy on his own accord.

 

In any case, it was this lingering smell and a very nice day that had put our Sasuke in a great mood.

 

Or, well, until eight o' clock. That's when his parents came home.

 

Sasuke stood humming and fiddling with the coffee machine in the kitchen, when his father positioned himself in the doorframe and glared at him in a very condescending manner. Sasuke looked at him briefly to show his father that he acknowledged his presence, and asked, “What?”

 

“You weren't in school today.”

 

“How do you know that?”

 

“I saw you with a blonde boy today, in the middle of the city. Why weren't you in school?”

 

Sasuke groanded inwardly. Actually, it had just been Naruto who had had a free day. Because of the school ending in a few days anyway (just as Naruto had said) and they only had lessons in the afternoon, Sasuke had decided that school at the moment hadn't been worth his time. Or, more like, a whole day with his favorite blue-eyed friend was _more_ worth his time. It was no idea to try to lie straight to Fugaku's face, so Sasuke instead told a slightly modified version of the truth.

 

“I'm already finished with all of my assignments and I've gotten grades in everything. It's okay. The teachers think it's okay.”

 

“We'll see about that. I'll give them a call tomorrow, and ask if what you're saying is true.”

 

“What are you two talking about?” Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, came up beside her husband with a worried face.

 

“Your son here has been _skipping class_ today,” Fugaku said with narrowing eyes and contempt in his voice.

 

“What?! Is it that Naruto that has been such a bad influence on you? You're not allowed to see him anymore. Starting now.”

 

“What's wrong with you?! He has nothing to do with this! Why do you dislike him so much?”

 

Sasuke's parents had met Naruto just once. He had run into them an evening when the whole family (Itachi included) was going to have dinner at a restaurant, and Naruto had talking nonstop like always – mainly with Sasuke though – and then rushed off as quickly as he had come. Since that incident, Fugaku and Mikoto had mentioned Naruto several times, each and every one with acidic voices.

 

“He was rude, his clothes were horrible matched and he _surely_ has bad grades... and apparently he's skipping classes as well.”

 

A quiet, frustrated shout escaped Sasuke's mouth.

 

“ _He_ _had_ no classes today. I _choose_ not to go to school. It was _my choice_. He didn't convince me to do it. I considered my options for this day, and concluded that it didn't matter if I showed up at school or not. So don't blame Naruto for this!”

 

“Why are you going such lengths to defend him, Sasuke? Get yourself together. You're grounded. Until school ends.”

 

“Okay what the-- okay.” Sasuke angrily ran his fingers through his hair, took a deep breath, and went out of the kitchen through the exit his parents weren't blocking. He did _not_ want to talk to them anymore that day. He knew there was no point in arguing with them, and even less when he was this angry. He would just start screaming, which would make things even worse.

 

At his room, Sasuke kicked the wall once, before he sunk down at his bed and took up his headphones. Loud music would be the cure for this shitty evening.

 

So thinking for yourself is good. Yeah right.

 

_fuck off._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title (and partly the setting of the chapter) from the song i still remember by bloc party. that song is apparently about two boys who almost fell in love. one of my favorites.
> 
> the next chapter will include bathing suits, a flustered sasuke and itachi with a cold. i sure hope you're excited!! (◡‿◡✿)


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